St. Landry democrat., 1887-06-18

It was a weary night, but by morning 1 had
got my body on it's back, and had com-
menced on lemons; this held out with fair
promises, but 1t was only a preliminary prep
aratlon for the second treatment, which was
a purely scientific one. 1t had been given to
me BY an eminent professor of one of our
most famous universities, and I being some
what OF a scientific turn of mind, it had i'm
pressed me. Sea sickness" argued the pro-
fessor, lis not caused by the motion Of the
ship, but by the differences between the mo-
ton of the ship on which you are and the
sea around you. Notice, for instance, the
effect when you are in a train of cars stand
lngLn adepot and another train close to you
starts out; you lnstlnctively feel that you are
going backward, and you turn your eyes
from it. That is the beginning Of sea sick
ness; nothing but imagination; it's the
brain that is troubled, not the stomach.
Now If you can only, while standing
on the deck of a steamer, keep
perfectly level, and then gradually get them
on the sea, first far off, then near, you are a
saved man." This appeared to me to be so
logical that | had determined to test it.
was to take a glass quite full of water and
endeavor to keep the water level. With the
stewards assistance l was led on deck. the
glass placed in my hand, and my back to
the sea. The lemon juice and sea biscuit |
had taken seemed inclined to 'stay by me-
and the patient" was quiet. l ventured to
recline in my chair. I looked at nothing
but that glass of water; still | could not help
noticing a pair Of jaunty sea shoes and a firm
tread that | felt sure belonged to the girl I
had seen with the Scotch cap. A wave
larger than before made me take extra
caution; another, and yet another in quick
succession, upset my glass, and in my confu-
sion once more appeared that dreaded ocean.
| was helpless; the patient must have
made a most disgusting exhibition Of itself.
If the ship would only sink. If l could but
die right there-anything but this. How
got to my room I hardly knew, but they got
the doctor, and after awhile l was asleep.
Fourth DAY. am very weak, l feel my
strength of will yielding, I take what is Of
fered without resistance, my steward appears
in the light of a keeper" He has even
taken from me the remainder of the rene
dies. l hear the doctor tell him to get me u
on deck. | cannot even protest, and now as
I writeI can but family recall the horrors of
that day. | lay in my chair, the patient
continually making a beast of itself they
scraped the deck all round me continually
with a modern hoe, with a piece of India
rubber on it like a window-washer, while the
steward would keep on with his assur-
ance That will do you good, sir" 1t was a
steady round of lemonade, sea biscuit, green
mush," followedby the hoe. My notebook
for hat day is a blank.
Fifth Day-Steward was in early. "Youh had
a hard time of it yesterday, sir, but the worst
is over; We had a bit ofsea on, but she is as
quiet as a mill-pond to-day" Oh, that delu-
sive "mill-pond;" when will they invent a
new nautical term for a lie? But I was bet
ter and managed to get a piece of beetsteak
to stay by me; later ate more, and then got
on deck in my chair, all huddled up, the
visor of my cap drawndown. | lay quiet the
sur shone brightly, but the cool breeze
freshened me up amazingly. | gradually and
with great caution looked out to the sea. 1t
was growing late in the afternoon when the
suggested he should take me to my
room, and that after a nights rest |
would be as gay as a cricket
rose, and just as was descending the girl
with the Scotch cap'' was coming up. She
gave one glance at my face and then burst
laughing. Steward, what isthe matter
with me? take me to a glass"
"Oh, nothing sir only a bit of the sun"
When l did see myself Icould hardly believe
it was myself. My face was covered with
like a clover field; it was red, it was
brown, it was white. The end of my nose.
IN obtrusive one under normal circum-
stances, was almost purple, fading off to a
bright vermillion, while my eyes and fore
head appeared in contrast as white as this
paper. "Never mind that, sir; it will come
all right in the morning. You will get
and I'll spruce you up a bit"
Sixth Day-Everything appears bright;
the steward looks in with a cherry smile; he
to tell me about the sea and the
mill pond. I simply laugh at him. | no
care for the mill pond. am shaved,